It's like a workaholic but with alcohol.

I've been working a great deal these days. Deadlines, training, meetings - but in the end it all comes down to one thing - overtime pay.

Last night I stayed late (only planning to stay until 7) so that I could finish a data report to report to my team this morning at 9 am. It's not really a big deal, just an internal meeting with the project managers. Nothing had looked strange in the data so I was under no pressure.

As I sat working in my cube at 5:30 yesterday, a consultant whom I will call BJ (actually that's what I call him in my head) came by and said, "Oooh, are you staying late? I need you to do such-and-such for me." And then he gave me work to do!

Yes, I was staying late. You know why? Because I had my own stuff to get done. I wasn't sitting around the office after hours looking to do the work that BJ hadn't gotten around to yet.

When I finished his job I almost asked him if he was going to help me with the stuff I had pushed aside. That would have been funny but the humor would have been lost on him. BJ is somewhat ego-centric and really doesn't understand that other people have their own deadlines and stressors. I often wonder how he got his position.

On Monday I also faced one of my fears at work. I called the computer lady in Boston. I talked on the phone with her for an hour and I think she only got mad at me 3 times. However, in the end I think I won her over, by use of my schmoozing and humility. I say "humility" because I asked her many questions and tried not to think for myself. I let her mold me to be the computer user that she wanted, as opposed to the IT guy that we have in the office that would probably be trying to do things his way.

Tomorrow I leave for a two-day training trip to Chicago. Six o'clock train. ugh. But 2 other guys from the office are also going on this trip. Hopefully it will be fun.